Bridge plaza expansion isn't needed

Jeh Johnson promised last week that the Blue Water Bridge Plaza expansion still is in Washington's plans. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary's assurance was not one our community was eager to hear.

The half-billion project was a mixed blessing. The sections of Interstates 69 and 94 that direct motorists to the bridge plaza were rebuilt, an improvement.

But the project's principal aim - expanding the plaza - never began. The federal dollars to finance the work disappeared, but not before expansion's footprint was carved out.

Port Huron lost 56 acres to the project. More than a hundred homes and several businesses were sacrificed.

The expansion project, which came after the 2001 terrorist attacks, was a endeavor Washington and Lansing believed was in the best interests of the nation, the state. The greater Port Huron area had little say in the matter, but it paid the price.

Federal and state promises about the bridge plaza have long lost their credibility. When the expansion was shelved, our community tried to make the best of it.

Construction on a new welcome center finally has begun, an important asset in the greater Port Huron area's quest to attract tourists crossing the bridge from Canada. The Michigan Department of Transportation also provided money to help Port Huron and St. Clair County recover from the years of disruption the expansion project wrought.

Johnson said the expansion has his "personal time and attention." He should know, however, that the plaza's chief problem is the need for enough inspection booths and personnel to make U.S.-bound bridge traffic move faster and more efficiently.

Revamping the plaza is a bit hard to take seriously, even from Johnson. After all, his Port Huron visit was only an add-on to his original plan to meet with Detroit officials about the new international bridge that will join Windsor with the Motor City. Despite the importance of the Blue Water Bridge to federal and state trade with Canada, Johnson's visit was an afterthought.

The bridge needs Washington's attention. But it doesn't need to see the plaza expansion revived. Make sure it is adequately staffed and make ending the backups of U.S.-bound traffic the priorities.

Make Port Huron whole again. The property the expansion project once needed should be returned to the city. That's a promise that should be kept.

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Bridge plaza expansion isn't needed

Jeh Johnson promised last week that the Blue Water Bridge Plaza expansion still is in Washington's plans. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary's assurance was not one our community was